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Haiti has a long history of patriarchy, discrimination against women and gender-based violence in the home, at work, in political life and in the courts.  Gender discrimination pervades Haiti systematically. This denies women and girls the power to prevent and address injustices against them.   HAWG’s Gender & Human Rights Subgroup envisages, advocates for and supports Haitian colleagues’ struggle for a Haiti where human rights, freedoms, gender equity and justice prevail in all areas of life.  To contribute to achieving these goals, the Subgroup holds the Haitian government, and bilateral and multilateral aid agencies accountable for harmful investment impacts on women, men, boys and girls.

HAWG’s gender subgroup addresses a range of issues that include the following non-prioritized list:

  • Women’s and men’s equal rights
  • Gender-based violence
  • Restaveks
  • Trafficking
  • Gender impacts of climate change
  • Gender impacts of aid investments across sectors including agriculture; industry especially industrial park management and employment; and mining
  • Gender imbalance in government and elected positions
  • CEDAW and Haiti

Recent News:

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Gender & Human Rights, Report

Report on prison escape, violence in Arcahaie

From the RESEAU NATIONAL DE DEFENSE DES DROITS HUMAINS (RNDDH), in English the National Human Rights Defense Network:

Full report in French available here.

Le 22 octobre 2016, une évasion s’est opérée à la Prison Civile de l’Arcahaie. Au cours de celle-ci, cent soixante quatorze (174) détenus se sont enfuis et au moins deux (2) personnes sont décédées, dont un agent de la Direction de l’Administration Pénitentiaire (DAP) et un prisonnier. Read More

Gender & Human Rights

Action: Reverse US detention, deportations policy for Haitians

Action Alert from Church World Service:

Last weekend, Hurricane Matthew decimated Haiti, a country that was already struggling to recover from the devastating 2010 earthquake. In the wake of the earthquake, the U.S. government promised to help displaced Haitians and support the country’s recovery. The U.S. government designated Haitians who were already in the United States in 2011 for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Read More

Gender & Human Rights

Beyond the Disaster Narrative…

A long-time HAWG collaborator, Professor Mark Schuller has written many times about NGOs and disaster response. He offers an important list of “lessons learned” from past recovery operations and how we must be cautious to not keep reinforcing the same cycle.

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People watch as river waters roll through Port-au-Prince on Oct.
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Gender & Human Rights

Rep. Wilson on the Anniversary of D.R. Decision to strip Citizenship

Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson on the Third Anniversary of the Dominican Constitutional Court’s Decision to strip Citizenship from Dominicans of Foreign Descent

Today marks the third anniversary of the Dominican Constitutional Court’s decision to strip the hundreds of thousands of Dominicans of foreign descent of their citizenship, the majority of whom are of Haitian descent.

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Gender & Human Rights, Report

UPR Submission: Violence and Discrimination against Women and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) People in Haiti

Background and Context

1. Thousands of Haitians today are at risk of violence and discrimination as a result of their actual or perceived sexual orientation, their gender identity, or nonconformist social behavior. The mere perception that individual may be LGBT can place their life directly at risk because extreme hostility and discriminatory attitudes toward LGBT members are so pervasive. Read More

Elections and Democracy, Food Sovereignty, Gender & Human Rights

Interview with Marie Frantz Joachim of Sofa and Pierre Esperance of RNDDH

 

Last month, Jasmine Huggins of Church World Service interviewed Marie Frantz Joachim of Haitian Women’s Solidarity (SOFA) and Pierre Esperance of National Human Rights Defense Network (RNDDH) to discuss the challenges facing women in Haiti and the elections. Below you will find the complete interview conducted in Haitian Creole but with a brief summary of the issues discussed. Read More